Rotary spark-gap



A. J. KLONECK.

ROTARY SPARK GAP.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 8, 1916.

1,366,160. Patented Jan. 18, 1921.

WITNESSES 1 l/YVEIY'TOR M I @744 gb 7 W M4 UNITED STATES AUGUST J. KLONECK,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

11.0mm: SPARK-GAP.

Application filed May 8, I

To all whom it may concern:

'Be it known that I, AUGUST J. KLoNEon, a citizen of thevUnited States, and a res dent of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Spark-Gaps, of which the following is a specification. i

This invention relates to certaln lmprovements in the transmission and simultaneous receipt of electrical energy by radiation, but more particularly to the efiiclent genera tion of high frequency currents.

Although the apparatus descrlbed 1s 1ntended for wireless telegraphy and telephony, it may also be used for producing high frequency current for other purposes, as for instance for X-ray apparatus.

The invention is hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevational view of a rotary spark gap coupled together with a switching commutator, which permits me to utilize the interval between certain spark discharges for other purposes, parts of the spark gap being shown in section.

Fig. 2 shows one use of the rotary spark a b In Fig. 1, the numerals 1 and 2 denote two disks of suitable insulating material, which carry ring shaped plates of a suitable metal, 3, 4, having a certain number of narrow flat projections, 3 3 4 and 1 Said disks 1 and 2 are synchronously drlven by an electric motor, a turbine or by any suitable means 5. Two or more statlonary electrodes 6, 7, 8, and 9, having a certain number of projections 65*, 6", 7 and 7 serve for the discharge of high tension current to and from the rotating plates 3 and 4. A commutator 10, secured on shaft 11, is simultaneously driven with the disks 1 and 2. Said commutator has a certain number of metallic segments 12, serving to complete an electrical connection between a pair of brushes 13 and 14. The latter are suitably attached on a holder 15 and a support 16.

In Fig. 2 is shown a preferred form of circuits for the rotary spark gap. The numerals 3 and 4 designate the two rotating spark wheels and 10 the commutator, which are synchronously driven with each other through a shaft 11.

It will be noted that one spark gap 3 is in series with a source of electrical current Specification of Letters Iatcnt.

Patented Jan. 18, 1921.

1916. Serial No. 96,228.

17 and an oscillation transformer 18, while the other spark gap 4 is bridged across said circuit. The purpose of this arrangement is that the oscillation transformer 18 and the antenna 19 and ground -20 is first charged with electrical current through the gap 3 by electrodes 6" and 7; whereupon the circuit is interrupted and the transformer 18 will be discharged through the spark gap 4 by electrodes 8 and 9. Another interval of rotation of the wheels will elapse, whereupon the segments of said commutator 10 will connect the transformer 18 to other apparatus, as for instance, to receiving instruments.

For this purpose, the transformer 18 will have additional connections to receiving apparatus 21, as for instance, through an induction transformer 22, the circuit to the latter being closed through the segments of the commutator 10 and the brushes 13 and 14.

In the foregoing it was described that the transformer 18 was once charged and discharged before it changed to receiving. However, the spark gaps 3 and 4.- may charge and discharge the transformer 18 several times regardless of any time period between two charges of the receiving instruments, as will now be explained.

Referring again to Fig. 2 on the drawing. a rotation of the spark gap 3 will connect the spark points 6 and 7 and thus complete a circuit between the source of electrical current 17 and transformer 18. Rotating further in the direction of the arrow, this connection will be interrupted by said gap 3. By a further rotation, the ga 4 will connect the points 8 and 9",, whic are in the bridged circuit of the transformer and thus discharge said transformer. A further rotation then interrupts this circuit. A still further rotation of the gaps will cause the gap 3 again to reestablish the circuit between the source of electrical cur rent 17 and the transformer 18 through the spark points 6* and 7", whereupon this connection will be again interrupted. Now the spark gap 4 will again discharge said transformer, whereupon the commutator 10 will connect the transformer with said receiving circuit.

For the purpose of reducing the spark length between the rotating electrodes a quenched spark gap 23 will be used in series with said rotating gaps. A plurality of .that both s ark ga s may be used for another combination 0 circuits and apparatus. Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A device for alternately energizing a transformer and transmitting circuits by a suitable source of electrical current and short circuiting said transformer and said circuits, said devlce comprising said transformer, circuits and elements, one means for completing and disconnecting a circuit of said transformer with said source of electrical current for periodically energizing said transformer, and one means, alternately operating with the first mentioned means for short circuiting and denergizing said transformer and transmitting circuits, and means for altergaps, electrically separated from one another, means for alternately operatin said spark gaps with one another, a trans ormer and circuits, the latter. embracing a source the first spark gap for alternately short cirnately operating the first and second memtioned means.

2. A device for successively energizing a transformer and transmitting circuits by a suitable source of. electrical current, for deenergizin'g said transformer and certain of said circuits, and for connecting the transformer with receiving apparatus, said device comprising a transformer, circuits and receiving apparatus, a source of current, one means for periodically completing and interrupting a circuit of said transformer with a. source of current, another means for short circuiting said transformer and a third means for periodically completing a circuit of said transformer with receiving apparatus, and means for operating said three means successively.

3. A'device for successively energizing a transformer for transmitting purposes, for neutralizing said transformer by short circuiting the same and for utilizing the transformer periodically for receiving, said device. comprising transmitting and receiving circuits including a common transformer, sources of electrical current, and elements including a receiving instrument, one means for completing and interrupting a circuit of said transformer with a source of electrical current, another means for periodically short circuiting said transformer for neutralizing the same, a third means for periodically completing a circuit of said transformer with receiving instruments. and means for operating said three means successively, said first mentioned two means repeating, said third means operating periodically with said first two means.

4. The combination, of'tworotary spark cuiting and de'eTnergizing said transformer and certaln of said circuits.

5. The combination, of two rotary spark gaps and a commutating switch, a common means for successively operating said spark gaps and said commutating switch, of circuits for the same and elements, including a source of current and a common transformer, the first of said spark gaps having projecting electrodes arranged in operative relation with stationary electrodes for periodically completing a circuit of said transformer to a source of current, and transmitting apparatus, the second spark gap having rotating electrodes arranged in operative relation with two stationary electrodes and a circuit for short circuiting and neutralizing said transformer successively, said commutating switch being arranged in operative succession with stationary brushes for periodically completing a circuit of said transformer with suitable receiving apparatus, said common means successively operating said spark gaps and said commutator in a certain order.

(3. The combination, of two electrically separate rotary spark gaps, a mmmon means for operating said spark gaps alternately, each of said spark gaps comprising a rotating electrode holder with metallic electrodes and two stationary electrodes, said electrodes having projecting spark points thereon, each of said stationary electrodes having a plurality of spark points, the latter being in operative relation with the rotating electrode points of their spark gap, the spark points of stationary and rotating electrodes of one spark gap being arranged for opposing one another alternately with respect to an opposition of the stationary and rotating elect-rode points of the other spark gap.

In testimony whereof I hereunto subscribe my name to this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

AUGUST J. KLONECK. lVitnesses:

N. N. BIRNBAUM, JOHN DANKEZO. 

